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Tag: Pep Guardiola

  • Not much room for youth in Croatia vs Belgium at World Cup

    Not much room for youth in Croatia vs Belgium at World Cup

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    DOHA , Qatar — When Belgium’s “Golden Generation” meets Croatia’s accomplished veterans in a decisive World Cup match on Thursday, there won’t be much room on the field for younger players.

    Croatia, which reached the final four years ago, and Belgium, which finished third in 2018, each rely on a vast array of experienced players.

    Croatia’s 20-year-old Joško Gvardiol and 25-year-old Nikola Vlašić, plus Belgium’s 21-year-old Charles De Ketelaere, are some of the exceptions — with Belgium’s 21-year-old midfielder Amadou Onana suspended for the game after picking up two yellow cards.

    Nicknamed “Little Pep” because of the similarities between his last name and that of Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola, the physical Gvardiol has already become a fixture at center back for Croatia and Leipzig, which recently extended his contract to 2027.

    Despite the contract extension, Gvardiol has been linked with a possible to transfer to Chelsea, where he could join Croatia teammate Mateo Kovačić.

    “At the age of 20 he has demonstrated that he can play at a great level,” Kovačić said. “He just needs to continue doing that.”

    Nikola Vlašić, the younger brother of former high jump world champion Blanka Vlašić, usually plays as an attacking midfielder. But on a Croatia team featuring the likes of Luka Modrić, Marcelo Brozović and Kovačić in midfield, Vlašić is used as a winger.

    Statistically one of best midfielders in Serie A this season with Torino, where he is on loan from West Ham, Vlašić is often involved in the buildup to goals and also puts a lot of shots on target.

    Vlašić exited Croatia’s opening 0-0 draw with Morocco at halftime after picking up a knock, but returned as a substitute in a 4-1 win over Canada.

    “Everyone thinks about the three midfielders, and rightly so, but this team now carries even more threat,” Belgium coach Roberto Martínez said of Croatia.

    “(Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić) highlights new players that are coming in around those three players.”

    Belgium also relies on a veteran attacking core of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku — who hasn’t been 100% physically — in attack, meaning that the baby-faced De Ketelaere, or “CDK” as he’s referred to, has only played off the bench so far at this tournament.

    But De Ketelaere impressed upon his arrival at Italian champion AC Milan in August, drawing comparisons to former Rossoneri standout Kaká for his dribbling ability and precise crosses in the playmaker position.

    “Some of the young players that haven’t been in the game, they are growing behind the scenes. I can feel that they can be called on when needed,” Martínez said. “I thought the players that came on against Morocco, they did their jobs, they performed well.”

    Croatia can secure a round-of-16 spot with either a win or a draw, while Belgium needs to win to be sure of advancing.

    Croatia and Morocco lead Group F with four points each, Belgium has three points and Canada has zero and is already eliminated.

    If Canada beats Morocco, it’s possible that both Croatia and Belgium will advance.

    “It’s very difficult to go into the game looking just for a point — that’s not our mentality,” Vlašić said. “We need to go for a win because if you just look for a point, you concede a goal and you are in panic mode all of a sudden. So we are going for the win.”

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    Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Forest upsets Liverpool as Haaland fires City back on track

    Forest upsets Liverpool as Haaland fires City back on track

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    MANCHESTER, England — Familiar faces came back to end Liverpool’s mini-revival in a shock 1-0 loss at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.

    Meanwhile, Erling Haaland put last week’s blank at Anfield behind him to fire Manchester City within a point of league leader Arsenal with a 3-1 win over Brighton.

    Liverpool’s win against City last weekend had looked like putting it back on track after such an unconvincing start to the season.

    Jurgen Klopp’s team backed that up with a victory against West Ham in midweek, but the loss at Forest raises fresh doubts over Liverpool’s ability to mount a credible title challenge.

    Taiwo Awoniyi, who spent six years at Liverpool without ever playing for the first team, struck the second-half winner to relieve the pressure on Forest manager Steve Cooper, who was formerly on the coaching staff at Anfield.

    The win moved Forest off the bottom of the table and left Klopp bemoaning the latest setback.

    “(It feels) as low as possible,” the Liverpool manager said. “Massive, massive blow because I have no idea how we can lose this game to be honest. Not that we played exceptionally well, not that I expect that, but it would have been nice.”

    Liverpool was without the injured Darwin Nunez and Thiago Alcantara, who was unwell.

    Defeat ends a three-game winning run for Liverpool, which included the hugely encouraging victory against City.

    Defending champion City brushed off that defeat with Haaland back on the score sheet.

    The Norway striker’s failure to find the back of the net against Liverpool was the first time he had gone without a goal since the second game of the season.

    Haaland made up for that against Brighton, scoring twice to take his overall total since joining City to 22 goals in 15 appearances in all competitions. He has scored 17 goals in the Premier League so far this season.

    He looked set to register his fourth hat trick this season, but couldn’t add a third goal, with Kevin De Bruyne sealing the victory with an impressive strike after Leandro Trossard pulled one back.

    Despite his goal, City manager Pep Guardiola was critical of De Bruyne’s form.

    “He is not playing at his top level, not yet,” Guardiola said. “He made a fantastic goal, but he is not playing at his best. He knows, I don’t have to tell him. His dynamic is still not perfect, I spoke with him.”

    Not that Guardiola wasn’t pleased with the goal.

    “The goal is outstanding,” he said. “Thanks to him we didn’t suffer in the last 15-20 minutes.”

    CALVERT-LEWIN HURTS PALACE AGAIN

    Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored for the fifth time against Crystal Palace in a 3-0 win for Everton.

    Victory ended a three-game losing streak for the team managed by Frank Lampard and moves it four points clear of the relegation zone.

    Anthony Gordon and Dwight McNeil also scored.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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    James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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  • Liverpool-Man City has become England’s ugliest rivalry

    Liverpool-Man City has become England’s ugliest rivalry

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    LONDON — As the Manchester City team bus made its way out of Anfield, there came a parting shot.

    An object, supposedly thrown by home fans after the bad-tempered 1-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday, caused a small crack in the windshield.

    It’s a rivalry that has turned ugly, the bitterest in the Premier League.

    City manager Pep Guardiola had already successfully avoided coins being hurled in his direction during the match. Liverpool, meanwhile, condemned the behaviour of the away fans after offensive chants relating to Hillsborough — the tragedy in 1989 that resulted in the deaths of 97 of its fans.

    As fierce as the competition has been on the field during a four-year period when the teams have dominated English soccer, so has the feud been off it. A person with knowledge of the bus incident said City will make an official complaint to the English Football Association.

    The person spoke on condition of anonymity because City has yet to publicly comment on the events surrounding the match. The coin-throwing and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s pre-match comments will also be included in the complaint, the person said.

    “There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially,” Klopp said on Friday, an apparent reference to City, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle, who are backed by Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, respectively.

    Tensions between the clubs have been building for some time — dating back to before their recent battle for supremacy at the top of the Premier League.

    Raheem Sterling’s transfer to City in 2015 pointed to a shift in the balance of power from one of European soccer’s traditional giants to its newly-enriched rival, which was bought by the Abu Dhabi royal family in 2008. As a result, the England forward was heavily-criticized for what was perceived as a financially motivated move.

    “Trophies don’t get handed out, you’ve got to earn them,” former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said at the time. “You’ve got to deliver in big games and he hasn’t done that yet.”

    Sterling went on to win four titles at the Etihad Stadium and 10 major trophies.

    But the rivalry really intensified when Klopp emerged as the greatest threat to Guardiola’s dominance.

    Liverpool beat City in three-straight games in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign, which saw Guardiola’s team crowned champion with a record 100 points.

    It was a notice of intent from Klopp, while Liverpool fans appeared determined to intimidate City, not only with the famously daunting atmosphere inside Anfield, but also by attacking the visiting team bus ahead of a Champions League quarterfinal match.

    The damage caused was so severe that a replacement bus was required to get the team back to Manchester.

    The small crack left on the windscreen on Sunday was not as dramatic, but it was the latest incident involving two teams that have set standards on the field that have not been matched by their fans off it.

    Liverpool said it wants to work with City to eradicate “vile chants.”

    “The concourse in the away section was also vandalized with graffiti of a similar nature,” Liverpool added in a statement after Sunday’s match.

    Meanwhile, Klopp, who was sent off for angrily charging out of his technical area to remonstrate with the referee’s assistant, apologized for the coin-throwing.

    “Horrible,” he said. “I am sorry. It never should happen.”

    How the FA unpicks a game that was overshadowed by flash points off the field is not straight-forward. It has limited jurisdiction over isolated incidents of objects being thrown from the crowd from individuals. And while it has condemned the chants from City fans, it would only normally act when discrimination is involved.

    Klopp’s fate is also uncertain.

    The Liverpool manager won’t face an automatic suspension for his red card, the FA said. The governing body will review the incident before deciding whether to offer him a ban and/or a fine. If his behaviour is deemed to be serious enough, he could face a hearing and potentially more severe punishment.

    If the fall-out from this latest engrossing clash between City and Liverpool has shown anything, it’s that this rivalry isn’t going away any time soon.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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    James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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  • Soccer world reacts to disaster at Indonesia stadium

    Soccer world reacts to disaster at Indonesia stadium

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    MADRID — A minute of silence was observed before soccer matches around the world on Sunday in honor of victims of the disaster at a stadium in Indonesia that claimed at least 125 lives, and top players, coaches and leagues sent condolences and messages of support.

    Most of the victims were trampled upon or suffocated as chaos erupted following a game between host Arema FC of East Java’s Malang city and Persebaya Surabaya on Saturday night. Witnesses described police officers beating fans with sticks and shields before shooting tear gas canisters directly into the crowds to stop violence but instead triggering a deadly crush.

    Indonesia’s soccer association suspended the top-tier Liga 1 indefinitely and banned Arema from hosting soccer matches for the remainder of the season, after one of the biggest tragedies globally at a sporting event.

    Soccer leagues observing a minute of silence in honor of victims included Spain, Israel and the Netherlands.

    In England, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola talked about the disaster following the Manchester derby in England.

    “Terrible. Absolutely terrible. The world is crazy,” he said. “The best thoughts for the family and everything.”

    Manchester United coach Ten Hag said it was “really a disaster … We are sad about it and our thoughts are with all the persons and the families and people of Indonesia.”

    Some fans reacted to the news before kickoff in Manchester.

    “We’ve been going to games for 50-odd years,” said Ray Booth, a Man City fan. “We don’t think about these things, but it could quite easily happen. You have a panic with thousands of people all together. It could happen. It is frightening to think about.”

    Both Manchester clubs said they were “deeply saddened” by the tragedy in Indonesia.

    “We send our sincere condolences to the victims, their families, and everyone affected,” Man United said.

    In Spain, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez called for a minute of silence during the club’s general assembly.

    Barcelona said it was “pained by the tragic events” and rejected “all acts of violence both on and off the field.” Ajax said “there should never be violence at a football match.”

    Among the players who reacted was veteran PSG defender Sergio Ramos, who called the tragedy “heartbreaking.”

    “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” he said on Twitter.

    Soccer leagues also expressed their sadness, including the Premier League, the Italian league and the Spanish league.

    In a statement, FIFA President Gianni Infantino offered condolences on behalf of the global soccer community, saying “the football world is in a state of shock.”

    FIFA did not mention in its statement the under-20 World Cup that Indonesia is set to host next year.

    UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin spoke on behalf of European soccer.

    “I would like to express our profound shock and sadness at last night’s appalling events in East Java’s Kanjuruhan stadium,” he said. “Our community sends its sympathy and solidarity to everyone affected by this tragedy.”

    The president of the Asian soccer confederation, Shaikh Salman, said he was “deeply shocked and saddened to hear such tragic news coming out of football-loving Indonesia.”

    The Spanish soccer federation lamented the tragedy and said it “condemns any act of violence, especially those in a festive setting such as a football match.

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    AP Sports Writer James Robson in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.

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    More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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    Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni

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